Nameless
by MusicAnonymous
Summary: Nameless. What would you do if you didn't know who you were? Would you search, would you simply ignore it, or would you just not care? What would you say if someone wanted to help you? Well, why don't you find out? -A
1. Chapter 1

**This is Anonymous and Shadow. Ok, so the back story on this is that I was brainstorming (just thinking) while listening to **_**Famous Last Words**_** by **_**My Chemical Romance**_**. ****She explained everything to me. This is going to be epic****. Agreed. Well, I'm going to get on with it. ****Review.**** Tell us if we should continue. This story is going to be one that we'll update when we have writer's block on everything else. ****Not very frequent, but we'll try. ****I dedicate this chapter to my friend 'ETC'. Thank you,**

** Anonymous and Shadow**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Never have, never will.**

Chapter 1

He walked slowly, his head down, dark hair covering his face. He tried not to attract attention, but that wasn't hard. He was used to being ignored by all, but he didn't mind. He was a loner anyway.

He passed small groups of people, just hanging around their friends before classes started to for the day. The boy didn't stop though. He had no friends to talk to. But he didn't care either way. He weaved through the crowded hallways, never bumping into someone or even scuffing someone's shoe.

He was an expert in avoidance. Not that he had anyone to brag to, but he was proud of his 'ninja skills' as his dad had once said when he was smaller. But he hadn't seen his dad since he was six. But he didn't mind. Sure, he missed his dad, but he didn't need anyone. He never did.

He passed a small group of people, varying in genders, races, and builds. He paid no mind to them, just passing by like every other day, every other year. He had a system worked out; if everyone ignores him, he would ignore them.

Because he was different.

He was a loner.

He was unimportant.

He was no one.

Nameless.

She grinned at her friends. They laughed and joked, a normal morning for her. They crowded her in a small circle, like they did every day, every year. She brushed her dirty-blonde hair from her face, letting her chocolate brown eyes show through.

She didn't need many people, only her friends, and her family. She needed those closest to her. No one else. She didn't mind, she was happy with how things were, how she didn't depend on anyone but herself and her friends.

The girl noticed the dark boy pass by them again, like every other day, every other year. She wondered who he was, what his story was. She had been interested to know for as long as she's noticed him, which had been many years. But as he passed, she turned back to her friends, not bothering to approach the stranger.

She watched her friends and her younger sister babble for a while, throwing in a few words here and there, but her mind was elsewhere. She was thinking about the mysterious boy longer than usual, but she disregarded it. Her friends began to walk away to class, departing with "Goodbye"s and "See ya later"s. She didn't mind, though.

Because she was normal.

She was important.

She was wanted.

She was loved.

Maximum Ride.

** So, what do you think? I personally liked it. Tell me what you think. Should I continue this? Review and I'll update again very soon. When I get my first review, I'll update. Thank you,**

** Anonymous**

**And [I] fell violently on my face. **

**-Edgar Allan Poe,**_** The Pit and the Pendulum **_


	2. Chapter 2

**This is Anonymous. Shadow's sick, unfortunately, so it's just me today. Thanks to you reviewers. I'm bored, so after this, I'll be reading **_**Zoo**_**, a James Patterson book. I'm excited. So, anyway, I'll just get on with the story. I dedicate this chapter to **_**SilenceIsGolden15**_**. Keep writing. This story will have alternating POV's, just a little, but it won't be confusing. Promise. Thank you,**

**Anonymous**

**Disclaimer: I own Maximum Ride as much as I own James Patterson. **

Chapter 2

**Max's POV**

"Maximum, what is your excuse for being late today?" Mrs. Branch sighed tiredly, rubbing the bridge of her nose. This was a daily thing, so she was patient. She wasn't going to bother punishing me; she knew it was impacting my behavior.

I grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, but I had to confiscate a bomb from Iggy. Again," I explained. She smirked knowingly. She knew about Ig's attachment to bombs, and how I always took them from him, just to save the principal, Mr. Hews, a little trouble.

"Just sit down, Max," she chuckled lightly, waving her hand dismissively. I nodded and started down the aisle, passing Dylan, the resident flirt. He made a _call me_ sign with his fingers and I rolled my eyes. Don't get me wrong, he was a nice guy, but he was just too much.

I flopped down in my normal seat behind JJ and scooped the books I needed from my bag. As I straightened up, I noticed the dark boy again. I had always wondered what was up with him, why he didn't talk to anyone and why no one bothered to approach him. Sure, he was dark and intimidating, but that didn't mean he was a bad person.

"Hey, why are you staring at that kid?" JJ whispered, turning in her seat to look at my face. She had an odd look on her face, like she couldn't comprehend why I would spare a glance at him. I frowned, but shrugged it off.

"He's hot," I deadpanned. JJ giggled a little, obviously thinking how absurd that sounds coming out of my mouth. It wasn't far off the mark though. He sure wasn't an eyesore, I can tell you that. "Nah, just wondering why no one talks to him," I admitted, shrugging.

A frown etched its way onto JJ's pale face. "I don't know," she muttered thoughtfully, "I don't even know his name." I glanced curiously back and found him looking back at me, dark eyes shining apathetically. This peeked my interests. Did he not care? What did he not care about?

"I'm going to figure out who he is," I determined. JJ rolled her eyes at me.

"Another pet project Max? Not like you don't have enough. Leave that kid alone. He looks like trouble to me," she insisted, shaking her head, making her light brown locks fall into her face. I snickered.

"Don't judge a book by its cover." With that, I gathered my things and tromped to the back of the room, where he was sitting near the window. I slumped into the seat beside him and put my books down by my chair. "Hey," I greeted simply.

He peered at me from the corner of his eye before nodding hesitantly. "Hi," he murmured back, his quiet voice deep and… silky? Is that the right word? Eh, I don't know. His black hair flopped in front of his equally dark eyes, which were blinking with confusion.

"I'm Max," I introduced, deciding to take the lead in this conversation-going-nowhere. He nodded again. I sighed. "Are you going to tell me your name?" I growled in irritation.

He looked up at the ceiling. "What's in a name?" he wondered aloud. I raised an eyebrow.

"Who are you, Shakespeare?"

"I look good for my age, yeah?"

I couldn't help but grin at his reply. He had a sense of humor; one more point on the Max Scale. Right under _kinda cute_ and _extremely quiet_. Not kidding, he reminded me of a monk. _Shhh, no talking_.

"Yeah, but I see a grey hair right there," I muttered, plucking a random black strand from the top of his head. He narrowed his eyes slightly, but made no move to retaliate. "Now, what is your name?"

The boy shrugged. "What do you want to call me?" I was surprised to say the least. Why didn't he just tell me his name? I shook off the thought and surveyed his appearance. He was dressed completely in black, with a small white fang hanging around his neck.

His hand came up and began to fiddle with it. It glinted in the artificial light. I snapped my fingers and grinned.

"Fang." He turned his head, staring at me with interest. "Your name is Fang," I elaborated. He tilted his head, thinking it over. Finally, he smirked.

"I like it."

"Come on," I urged, grabbing his sleeve tightly. We were in the hallway, just before lunch. I was shoving my way through the crowd, towing my newfound friend by his wrist behind me. "Get out of the way!" I snapped, glaring at the bystanders who just didn't want to move.

I burst through the wide double doors, still dragging Fang with me. He stumbled in, getting slapped in the face by one door as it swung back. He grunted and held his swelling cheek. I grinned sheepishly. "Sorry," I chuckled nervously. He smirked back at me.

"S'ok," he mumbled, rubbing his face gently. I turned back to the table I was destined to; my friends spread across it. I swaggered to the bench confidently. I didn't turn to see if Fang was following -he was like a shadow-; I knew he was following me.

"Maxi!" I heard a certain pyromaniac squeal, just before I was plowed into by a pale, strawberry-blonde freight train. Iggy spun me around, giggling like the insane chef he was. "Maxi, I haven't seen you since… this morning!" I rolled my eyes.

"Exactly," I said, "you _just_ saw me." He rolled his eyes. Then, he finally noticed Fang.

"Who's the Grim Reaper?" he questioned, looking at Fang with that silly grin that became his trademark back in first grade. I grinned.

"This is Fang. I just met him. He's sitting with us, right buddy?" Fang nodded, smirking. Iggy stared at him blankly for a moment, before launching himself at Fang. He stumbled back, surprised by this sudden display of affection.

"Ah, Max? Little help?" He whispered, confused as to why he had a fourteen year old hanging off of his neck like a deranged monkey.

"Fangy, you're welcome here any time! Welcome to the family!" Iggy giggled, swinging his arm around Fang's shoulders. He shrugged off the arm and moved to stand behind me. "I like him. You have good taste in men." I blanched. Only Iggy would say something so forward.

"Uhh, great?" I laughed.

"Should I be flattered or offended?" Fang murmured. I chuckled a little. _This should be fun_, I thought wryly.

**Fang's POV**

Fang smiled to himself when he reached his room. He liked having Max as a friend. Again. He shook his head and chuckled as he chucked his bag at the wall. It landed with a small _thud_ in the corner. Flopping down on the bed, he dredge up one of his favorite memories of Max, when they were still friends before school began.

**Flashback**

_ "Fangy," Fang heard four year old Max whine behind him. His best friend was shaking his shoulder, trying to wake him up. "Come on Fangles, I'm bored." He smirked silently to himself. Of course she was bored. He just couldn't get a wink of sleep, could he?_

_ He groaned and rolled over, not opening his eyes. "Fang, get up. Let's do something." An evil plan began forming in his mind, making it hard for him not to grin wickedly. "Fang get your lazy butt u- Ohh!"_

_ Fang shot his hands out, grabbing Max by her tiny waist. She giggled as she came crashing onto the small bed with him. "Maxi, be quiet," he murmured, finally opening his eyes to gaze fondly at her. She giggled a little and curled into him, burying her small head into his scrawny chest._

_ "Ok," she whispered back, closing her eyes contentedly. Fang allowed himself a small smile. He liked spending these noiseless moments with Max. They always made him extremely happy, enough so that he'll give her a full smile._

_ "I love you, Max," he said softly. He felt Max shift a little and she beamed up at him._

_ "I love you too, Fang," she smiled back. Fang grinned back at her, putting his head on top of hers. They stayed in silence for hours on end, just enjoying each other's company. Little did Fang know, this would be one of the last times he would get one of these moments._

**End**

Fang sighed and closed his eyes. He did miss Max for those ten years, but now he had her back. He wasn't going to remind her that he was her best friend when they were younger; he wanted to have a new relationship with her. See where it could take them.

Besides, if she remembered him, what would she think? Clearly, she had moved on from him. As much as it hurt to say this, he was insanely happy to see Max happy, whether it was with him or someone else. At least he got another chance with her, even if it wasn't his fault she forgot him.

**So… How was it? I think I did a good job. Review. Tell me what you think. Ok then, I'll be off. To **_**Zoo!**_** Thank you,**

** Anonymous**

**For me, it's hard to write about the nice trees and flowers and happy s***. It's a lot easier to write about what's pissing you off. –Adam Gontier **


	3. Chapter 3

**This is Anonymous and Shadow. ****I am no longer sick.**** Clearly, or you wouldn't be here, smart one. ****I will give it to you.**** Er… Anyway, thanks you reviewers. ****Not many of you though, in proportion to the number of views.**** He's right. Review, people. We're not updating again till we get 15 of them. We dedicate this chapter to 'TheUltimateBookWorm'. ****And **_**C**_**, of course.**** I'm taller than all of you! ****And I'm taller than you. ****Shut it. Anyway, thank you,**

** Anonymous and Shadow**

**Disclaimer: Yeah, right… ****And I own France.**** Which, he doesn't. ****Nope, I don't own JP either. I'm not into slavery.**

Chapter 3

"So Fang, how would you like to help me with my newest… project?" Iggy asked with a sly grin. Fang cast a wary glance at me, before shaking his head mutely. "Why not?" he whined, frowning. Fang paused before answering.

"Because, I enjoy seeing the sun rise. I can't do that if I'm dead." I cracked a bright smile; I'd only known him since yesterday, but I knew already how much humor was buried in that dark head of his. Iggy shook his head, looking appalled.

"You wouldn't die! At worst, you'd be brutally mutilated," he "reasoned" quickly, making rapid hand gestures, as if that would help his case. Fang snorted softly.

"And that's any better?"

"Yes, it is. Now, I want to put a stink bomb under the principal's chair. Now, to do that, I'd need a good distract-"

"Iggy, what did I tell you? No bombs near the school!" I snapped, slapping the back of his head. He hissed and rubbed his red-blonde skull. Fang smirked in amusement, before snagging us both by the collar and dragging us towards the entrance of the school.

"Violence isn't the answer… All the time," he revised. I chuckled and shook off his hand, while Ig just went limp. Fang stopped suddenly, looked back at him, then dropped Iggy on the pavement.

"And violence isn't the answer?" I mocked as Ig cried out in pain. Fang just showed me a lopsided grin, giving the sun some competition. I instinctively beamed back. Iggy picked himself off the floor by now and was staring at us with something in his eye and a sly smile on his face.

"C'me on, guys. Let's get to class," he urged, still with the slightly unnerving leer.

"Yeah," I agreed, "Mrs. Branch wouldn't be too happy if I was late again." Iggy sniggered, knowing it was his fault, while Fang grabbed my sleeve and tugged me down the hall. "Well, someone's excited for English," I teased. Fang rolled his eyes.

"No. I don't want to be blamed for your tardiness." Well then.

Iggy caught Fang before lunch, snagging his sleeve and whipping him into the guy's bathroom. Fang looked at him questioningly. "Why am I here, Ig?" he demanded, frowning slightly and crossing his arms over his chest defensively.

"I know who you are," he exclaimed, grinning crazily. Fang raised an eyebrow. _Elaborate._ "You see, I know that you used to be Max's friend before first grade. And I… stole her away from you. And I apologize for that. I didn't mean to," Iggy sighed, looking down in guilt.

Now, it was Fang's turn to sigh. He ran his hand through his already messy black hair. "Ig, I don't blame you for what happened. I know you didn't steal Max away from me on purpose. But this is a second chance for me; for me not to mess up, not to let her go, not to get my heart broken again. And I wouldn't want it any other way."

Iggy looked at Fang in admiration. He was tough as nails, he wasn't getting upset or angry; he was accepting what had happened, embracing it even. Ig knew he would never be able to deal with that so well; losing his best friend to someone she just met. A realization hit him then and there, and he wasn't able to keep his mouth shut.

"You love her, don't you?"

Fang was startled by this accusation to say the least, but didn't deny it. "Yeah, I do. Ever since we were four," he explained quietly, smiling a little as he said it. He remembered how crushed he was on that fateful first day of school.

**Flashback**

_ "Hey Fang, I met a new friend today. His name is Iggy," five year old Max giggled, pulling a small, lanky strawberry-blonde behind her. The boy, Iggy, smiled at Fang. Fang managed a tiny smile back, but it came out as more of a grimace. He wasn't used to smiling at anyone but Max._

_ "Hi, I'm Iggy," he introduced himself, shoving a pale hand out for Fang to shake. He stared at the hand cautiously. He didn't like shaking hands, even at that young age. Max rolled her eyes in irritation. _

_ "He doesn't like shaking hands," she explained to Iggy, giving Fang a hard glare. He frowned a little. Why was she acting like this? She never looked at him like that before._

_ "Are we still going to the movies after school?" Iggy asked, looking at her while grinning impishly. Max nodded excitedly._

_ "Yeah, I can't wait!"_

_ "Can come?" Fang asked carefully. Max glanced at him, as if she forgot he was there. She sent him an apologetic look._

_ "Sorry, but Iggy only has two tickets," she said casually, not really sounding sorry, though. Fang's frown deepened, but he nodded without argument. _

_ "Ok. Will I see you tomorrow?" he wondered, hoping that the expectation didn't show in his eye or voice._

_ "Sure," she murmured distractedly, already in a deep discussion with Ig about something or other. They started walking away, not hearing Fang's goodbye._

_ Fang's heart panged as he watched her go. He had a bad feeling about this, but didn't say anything. Little did he know, that would be the last time Max would talk to him for almost ten years._

**End**

Iggy sniffed, remembering the memory also. He felt a new wave of guilt wash over him, and he patted Fang's arm sadly. "Sorry, man. I didn't realize what was happening back then."

Fang shook his head, trying to rid himself of that horrible memory, along with many others just like that: Max moving a year after that day, Max not saying a word to him when they were partnered up for a science project, Max glaring murderously at him when he accidently bumped into her, knocking both of their books to the ground.

"It's ok, it hurt, but I'll live. I have Max now. I have my name back. Now, I just have to put a meaning to it," he confirmed, nodding his head in determination.

"And I'm going to help you," Iggy determined, smiling ruefully. Fang tore his gaze from the tile floor and gave Ig a small, hesitant smile.

"Thanks." And with that, the boys left the room where they had their little heart-to-heart to catch up with a probably very peeved Max. Something about ditching her and a spork…

** Whoo, that felt great to get that out. Very deep, am I right? Tell me what you think in a review. Someone asked why all my stories have Fang in pain, physical or emotional. Well, I was a little tired of the 'poor Max' stories; I like experimenting with Fang's emotions. How would he react to this stuff? Now that that's out of the way, I'm going to go. Review. Thank you,**

** Anonymous**

"**Be yourself, don't take anyone's s***, and never let them take you alive."**

**-Gerard Way**


	4. Chapter 4

**This is Anonymous and Shadow. I'm bored. We both are. So that's why this is coming. We're one shy from the 15 goal, but we don't care. This is too fun to write. Anyway, we dedicate this chapter to 'AshGlass1151'. She's a good author. Now currently obsessed with Naruto. But she's still good. Anyway, on with the chapter. Onward, Vespar! Thank you,**

** Anonymous and Shadow**

**Disclaimer: Nothing new here. Still own jack squat. No Maximum Ride. No France. But I did upgrade to a refrigerator box. **

Chapter 4

I closed the front door quietly behind me, trying not to attract attention from the residents. I knew for a fact that one of them played soccer, so I didn't want to invoke their wrath. I soundlessly made my way to the stairs and climbed halfway up. That was when I hit the creaky board.

"Maaaaaax!" a young voice cried, and a small blonde projectile smashed into my side, almost sending both of us careening down the steps. I caught the rail just in time and straightened up, smirking at the small figure latched onto me. Ari.

"Hey buddy, how was school?" I asked him, letting him pull along up the stairs. We had something like a family room upstairs between our rooms, the two youngest on one side and me on the other.

"It was good, Max. I met this girl named Angel, and her big brother, the Gasman. Their so cool! Gasman makes bombs! And Angel is really sweet. She's six, and Gazzy's eight. So I'm right in the middle!" he chattered excitedly. I smiled at my younger brother and ruffled his hair.

"Where's Ella?" I inquired, falling into a cushy beanbag chair. Ari sat in one to my right and picked up a little game device, turning it on and giggling.

"She called and said something about soccer tryouts. Her and her friend, Nudge I think, are trying out today," he responded absentmindedly, tapping at his controller. "So how was your day? Make any new friends?"

That's one thing I love about Ari; he doesn't just tell you about, he makes sure you had a good day too.

"Yeah, I did make a new friend. His name is Fang. He's pretty cool, I met him yesterday," I admitted, grinning at the thought of my odd new acquaintance. He was already growing on me, even if he was annoyingly quiet and a smart ass.

"You seem to like him a lot. I have a feeling you think he's… what's the word? Cute? Good looking? No, I'd say handsome. Am I right?" That's one thing I hated about the kid; he was so insightful for his age.

"I'm attached, yes. But I don't think he's 'cute' or 'handsome' or 'good looking'," I muttered, rubbing my face tiredly. I was suddenly itching to get away from Ari and go sit in my room alone. Ari smirked knowingly at me, but stayed silent.

I scrambled out of the bag and scampered into my chamber, shutting the door and throwing myself onto my bed. I pulled out my homework and let it fall onto the crumpled comforter. Ugh, math. I hated it. The bane of my existence.

My jumbled sheets of paper made it almost impossible to decipher which sheet was my homework. I sighed and ran a hand through me knotted hair. Finally, after finding it and an hour of fiddling with the calculator, I just threw down the work and flopped onto my stomach, effectively knocking my school stuff off the mattress.

I tiredly stuffed ear buds in my ears and turned on something to drown out the sound of Ari and Ella screaming at Mario Kart. I closed my eyes, unintentionally letting myself drift into unconsciousness.

_ "Shh," the small boy whispered to me, looking around the trunk of the tall oak, only part of the large forest which surrounded us. His wide dark eyes starred out at whatever or whoever was on the other side of the giant._

_ I heard stifled mumbling on that side, but could not make out the words. I clung to the dark boy's arm, and he gripped my hand in return. Fear chilled me to the very marrow in my bones, making me visibly shake. He kept me quiet though, shooting me reassuring glances or squeezing the hand in his grip._

_ I built up the courage to peer around the base, and what I saw made me pale considerably. Three men were standing in a loose circle, talking in gruff voices that cooled my blood. Each man held a small pistol in their meaty hands._

_ I noticed the leader guy had a tattoo on his right bicep, which was, now don't laugh, a sock monkey. A sock monkey with blood pouring from its button eyes, its head almost torn off of its fluffy shoulders, and its arms wrapped around something that looked similar to a knife, but my young mind didn't comprehend it._

_ The buff man turned his head and spotted me then, making me jerk back behind the tree. The dark boy yanked me behind him and yelled at me to run, to get back to the house. And I did. I got up and sprinted as fast as my short legs could carry me. I left him. And I didn't think twice about it._

I snapped my head up, sticky sweat dripping down my pale face. That dream had been a reoccurring event for year, and many dreams like it. I didn't know who the boy was, or who the threatening men were, but the dream freaked me out immensely.

I looked at the red blinking block numbers on my nightstand. They read 11:29 pm, making me groan in disdain. Only seven fours till I had to get up. And there was no way I would be able to sleep after that.

I rolled onto my back and closed my eyes. If I couldn't sleep, then I would at least be thinking. My first thought was Fang. Why did he let me name him? How come he didn't speak at all when in class. Why was he so comfortable with us? An even better question, what did Iggy and Fang talk about that made their moods improve?

I made a decision then. I was going to find out everything about Fang; what makes him tick, why he closed himself off, why he and Ig seemed even more comfortable with each other after they disappeared before lunch. And what was the little glint in his eye when he looked at me, like he knew something I didn't.

**So, what do you think? Tell me in a review. Please. I beg of you. And I don't beg. So, tell me what you think. I'm not updating till I get 20 reviews. So hurry up. Thank you,**

** Anonymous**

**I offered to stimulate her.  
She said she needs **_**mental**_** stimulation.**

**-**_**Odd Thomas**_**, by Dean Koontz **


	5. Chapter 5

** This is Anonymous and Shadow. School gave us a lot of homework. ****Anatomy****. Ugh. Anyway, I want to answer a really good question. ****Someone said that a four year old in love is unrealistic****. How I explained it was that a four year old feels the same thing everyone else feels, but they just don't know what these emotions are. So, they could name that feeling as something else. And then, if they look back on that emotion after they get older, they could realize what they really felt. ****All questions answered now?**** Good. ****Dedicated to 'Whosaidblondescan'tread'.**** F.U. Not a curse word, but an acronym. Anyway, thank you,**

** Anonymous and Shadow**

**Disclaimer: When I look in the mirror, I don't see a middle-aged man. I see a teenage girl. Therefore, I don't own Maximum Ride. ****I don't see a teenage girl. I see a teenage guy****. 'Cause you are, idget. ****Very funny, shorty.**** I'm not that short!**

Chapter 5

A zoo. We were at a zoo. And we could thank Iggy for that. And by "we" I meant me, Fang, Iggy, Ella, Nudge, Angel, and the Gasman. All stuffed into my mom's SUV, trying not to rip each other's throats out (Nudge), stab each other with a their own kitchen knife (Iggy), plug up someone's ass (Gazzy), or strangle words out of them (Fang).

"Nudge, shut up! My ears are bleeding!" Iggy roared, kicking her seat like a toddler on an airplane. Nudge ignored him, continuing her mindless chatter. Gaz screeched out his wonderful rendition of the Constipation Song. Weird Al would be proud. And Mozart would be rolling in his grave.

As all of this continued, Ella sat up front (how she snatched shotgun will forever be unknown to me), listening to her beloved iPod. I could barely hear _Bohemian Rhapsody_ blasting through her ear buds. She may not realize this, but I was plotting her downfall. That's what she gets for sticking me with these dunces.

The car rolled to a stop on the surprisingly deserted parking lot and Iggy immediately barrel rolled out of it. "Oh thank you!" he cried, kissing the ground. He sprang up, spitting at the ground. "Ew, that's not my gum."

"Ok…? Anyway, let's go look at animals. Go look at what you want, but keep a buddy. We don't need a mischievous little child blowing up the aardvarks," I commanded, shooting looks at Iggy and the Gasman. They grinned cheekily back at me, hands behind their backs innocently. Ha, innocent my sweet Granny Sugars. **AN: Odd Thomas!**

"Go." And they were off. Iggy grabbed Gaz and took off running as faced as his gangly legs could carry him towards the flamingos. Angel snatched Ella and Nudges' hands and booked it to the wolves. I could already hear Nudge's blabbering about how cute the wolf pups were. And that left Fang and I.

"Well then, let's go loo… Ok then." Fang had started walking away from me before I could even finish my thought. I jogged to catch up with his long, steady strides. I trotted behind him, eyeing the hippos that didn't seem to like me much. They were giving me the stink-eye.

Fang stopped abruptly, making me crash into his back. He turned and raised an eyebrow at me. "You ok?" I frowned, but nodded anyway. Why didn't he show any real concern? Did he not care? I swiveled my head to look at the exhibit he stopped at. Inside were two birds: a raven and a bald eagle.

I noticed how Fang stared at the enclosure intently. He seemed to be following the raven closely, eyes darting from here to there. I watched the eagle, taking in every stroke of its graceful wings. The eagle appeared to be the dominate one in the cage, making a bunch of racket Nudge would be envious of. It finally came to rest near the raven, who had landed silently on a branch high up in a bare tree.

The eagle gazed at the raven for a moment, clicking and chirping. Then it lunged. It knocked the raven out of the tree and it spread its dark wings only meters away from the hard ground. It let out a mournful cry while gliding towards us. It landed in a small tree before Fang, dark eyes staring into dark eyes. And then the graceful bird did something I never would have thought possible.

It did the "sup" nod.

Fang nodded back at it, smirking a little. I just gaped at the two, perplexed as to how this was happening. They regarded each other calmly, neither making a sound until the bird nodded at me. Fang seemed to understand and shook his head slowly, as if he were communicating with a young child. He turned the tables and nudged his head at the eagle, which was preening its large wings as they "spoke". The raven shook its head in the same manner Fang did.

"You are one smart bird," he muttered thoughtfully. "Can you speak?" Fang asked slowly. The bird cocked its head to the side in thought, and then opened its shiny black beak.

"Nevermore!" the bird blurted, extending its wings; they glinted with a deep purple in the sunlight. Fang blinked, then chuckled lightly in amusement. I, however, was doubled over while laughing hysterically.

"Quoth the Raven, Nevermore."

Fang chuckled as he thought of the raven at the zoo today. Apparently, he wasn't the only Edgar Allan Poe fan there. He was still confused as to how he was able to communicate with the raven so clearly. It was a smart bird, but he just didn't get how it knew these things.

How did it know he liked Max? How did it understand what that nod meant? There was no doubt that that the bird did comprehend what he was "saying", but it was still weird.

But what was really eating at him was what the bald eagle did to his little friend. Was that some kind of screwed up premonition of what was to come between him and Max?

He didn't feel like being shoved out of a tree any time soon, literally or metaphorically.

** Ok, ok, I know. Crappy chapter. But I have been so flipping busy. We've had exams for the past TWO weeks. It's been insane. And then the homework. Do not get me started on the homework. I deeply apologize for my absence though, and I should be updating more often now. And thank you SilenceIsGolden15 for mentioning me. For that, I will do this: Go check out her page. Her stories are great. So… see ya. Thank you,**

** Anonymous**

**Life is but an illusion.**

**-Unknown**


End file.
